People on anti-retroviral drugs in Lusaka increases

Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that the number of people on anti-retroviral drugs in Lusaka has increased from 70 to 86 percent.

And Dr Chilufya says the government is on the right track to ensuring that there is universal access to safe drugs manufactured locally.

Speaking when he commissioned the first ever 9 million united states dollars anti-retroviral and malaria drug manufacturing facility, says the facility will not only produce ARVS and malaria drugs but also the latest ARVS.

The health minister says the pharmaceutical manufacturing facility presents an opportunity for investors to offer their pharmaceutical products to neighbouring countries and throughout the continent and beyond considering that Zambia is now a land linked country.

He has since stated that government through the ministry of health is on track to attain the targets of epidemic control of HIV/AIDS through strengthening local manufacturing of drugs and strengthening the local supply of ARVS.

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote has called for transparency and accountability in the management of drugs and funding in the health sector as a way of attracting more investments in the sector.

And Mylan President Ravij Malik has emphasized that Mylans global HIV initiative is one of the company’s key priorities.